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We have made a quick review of the documentary Cannabis: A Lost History. Take a look at the best and worst of what this film has to offer. Spoiler alert: It's pretty cool.
Directed by: Chris Rice
Initial release: 2018
Spanning from ancient China through to the present day, the documentary Cannabis: A Lost History delves into important historical events surrounding our favorite plant; cannabis.
Traditional use of the herb by various religions and cultures is described, as well as how cannabis traveled from one place to another and the politics encircling the plant. Let’s go through some pros and cons of this feature.
THE GOOD
This documentary is quite long, lasting for over an hour. This undoubtedly required a significant amount of research and passion for the subject. What makes this documentary great are all the pictures and clips detailing specific time periods relevant to the topics described. The voice of the narrator is very clear, and the background music provides an outlandish psychedelic vibe, perfectly fitting to the topic.
Also, the makers of the documentary have done a good job exploring the many aspects of cannabis’ history with equal focus. This provides the documentary with a nice flow, without belaboring on one specific time period. Cannabis use by the Chinese, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Egyptians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Scythians, Sikhs, Sadhus, Sufis, you name it—it’s all included.
THE BAD
All facts should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, comments such as “scientific evidence proves that cannabis destroys cancer” relates to scientific research performed in petri dishes and animal models, but the documentary doesn't provide dig further in the subject.
Also, historical assertions relating to ancient civilizations, and all assertions for that matter, should be more carefully scrutinized before concluding them as facts.
BOTTOM LINE
This documentary offers a thorough overview of cannabis in regard to its history of use—something many people are interested in. However, like with most cannabis-related art and literature, it should be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism.
It’s a cool documentary that puts images next to the lore, providing a greater look into thousands of years of cannabis use. Definitely worth your high if you’re into this kind of thing.
